Bengaluru FC to play their 2021 AFC Cup Qualifiers at GMC Stadium in Goa
Indian Super League (ISL) club Bengaluru FC will play their 2021 AFC Cup Qualifiers on April 14th at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa. Their opponents for the match are yet to be finalized.
Bengaluru FC will play either Nepal Army Club or Sri Lanka Police in the second round of qualifiers. The two aforementioned clubs will cross swords on April 7th in the first round.
The Blues will need to play another round of qualifiers before they can cement their place in the group stages of the 2021 AFC Cup. They will face either Abahani Dhaka Limited (Bangladesh), Club Eagles (Maldives), or Thimpu City (Bhutan) in the playoff round.
Bengaluru FC had a disastrous campaign in the 2020 edition of the AFC Cup. The former ISL champions fumbled in the final round of qualifiers.
They played a 4-4 draw against Maziya Sports and Recreation Club (Maldives) over two legs but got knocked out 4-3 in the penalty shootouts. Parag Shrivas, Rahul Bheke, and Deshorn Brown missed their respective penalties for Bengaluru FC.
Bengaluru FC have a new coach to guide them in their 2021 AFC Cup campaign
Chennai City FC were India's lone representatives in the 2020 AFC Cup. However, the tournament got disbanded midway due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
ATK Mohun Bagan have already booked their place in the 2021 AFC Cup, courtesy of Mohun Bagan's I-League triumph.
As for Bengaluru FC, they will be guided by head coach Marco Pezzaiouli during the 2021 AFC Cup. The Italian will look to take the 2019 ISL champions to the group stages of the competition in his first assignment.
Bengaluru FC recently released Kristian Opseth, Xisco Hernandez, and Fran Gonzalez. Juanan, Erik Paartalu, Dimas Delgado, and Cleiton Silva will be the four foreign players representing the club.
The Blues had become the first team to reach the finals of the AFC Cup in 2016 under Albert Roca. They have, however, produced an underwhelming performance since then in the continental competitions.